MNLA proudly announces the elevation of Alexis Gagné, Dan Yannaccone, Johanna Phelps, and Martha Desbiens to the role of Principal. This progression marks a significant milestone in MNLA’s ongoing evolution by reflecting the firm’s commitment to cultivating a collaborative, values-driven practice and advancing the next generation of design leadership.

“This elevation represents both continuity and renewal,” said Founding Principal Signe Nielsen. “Each of these talented leaders embodies MNLA’s core principles of transformation, inclusivity, and advocacy. Their elevation reflects years of dedication to our clients, our projects, and our people—and I couldn’t be more confident in their collective ability to guide MNLA into the future.”

Since joining MNLA, each played pivotal roles in shaping the firm’s portfolio and culture:

• Alexis Gagné, LLA, ASLA, known for her thoughtful approach to urban landscapes, has led numerous high-profile projects and continues to advance MNLA’s mission to enrich public life in shared spaces through design that balances form, function, and community impact.

• Dan Yannaccone, LLA, ASLA, WEDG,has over two decades of expertise in resilient site planning and ecological design, guiding complex landscape concepts to fruition.

• Johanna Phelps, RLA, ASLA, WEDG, has designed and directed some of the firm’s most notable campus and institutional projects, steering teams toward innovative, contextually grounded solutions across various geographic markets. 

• Martha Desbiens, LLA, ASLA, WEDG, has been instrumental in expanding MNLA’s academic and healthcare practice, integrating environmental performance and design excellence to support learning, wellness, and community connection.

The four new principals join Nielsen, Molly Bourne, and Rob DeMarco in leading MNLA’s next chapter, building on the firm’s decades-long foundation of design excellence. Together, their collective direction ensures stability across the firm’s project portfolio and empowers teams to deliver transformative, human-centered landscapes.

MNLA’s leadership model emphasizes its ongoing dedication to advocacy and transformation through design principles that have guided the firm for more than three decades and continue to shape its approach to creating meaningful landscapes that serve people, place, and the planet.

In appreciation for their achievements, The Garden Club of America (GCA) welcomes five new honorary members for 2026. Since 1916, the GCA has recognized the extraordinary achievements of more than 400 honorary members in the fields of horticulture or conservation, or whose knowledge and interests align with the GCA purpose. With appreciation for her achievements, the GCA welcomes MNLA's Signe Nielsen as a new honorary member.

Founded in 1913, the GCA is a nonpartisan, issue-oriented advocate for a beautiful, healthy planet. It is a nonprofit national organization recognized for its leadership in horticulture, conservation, creative arts, historic preservation, and environmental protection. Its mission is to bring its 199 member clubs together to cultivate the bond among people, plants, and the environment. GCA member clubs collectively include nearly 18,000 members who devote energy and expertise to projects in their communities and across the United States.

MNLA is proud to share the recent release of "Moving FiDi-Seaport Forward," a plan led by New York City Economic Development Corporation and the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice.

This major resilience initiative that is shaping New York’s future is a comprehensive, long-term strategy to protect nearly one mile of waterfront from The Battery to the Brooklyn Bridge.

MNLA is honored to contribute to an initiative of this scale and importance - one that helps safeguard our city and its future generations. Read about the plan here.

Seven new Directors joined the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) Board on October 9, bringing extensive experience and knowledge from landscape architecture practice. MNLA's Jacob Kuhn, a 2018 LAF Olmsted Scholar, was selected for the open Director position for Olmsted Scholars, one of two dedicated two-year slots.

The LAF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1966 with the mission to preserve, improve, and enhance the environment. LAF invests in research, scholarships, and leadership initiatives to increase the influence and impact of landscape architects to create a healthier, more equitable, and sustainable world.

Come and see us! Join MNLA along with our team of collaborators, NYC Economic Development Corporation, and the Mayor's Office of Climate & Environmental Justice at the FiDi & Seaport Climate Resilience Plan exhibit as part of Climate Week NYC from September 15-28.

MNLA has continued to expand our coastal resilience portfolio as an integral collaborator in the FiDi & Seaport Climate Resiliency Plan—serving in both capacities as designers on the public open space assets, as well as a leader on the robust public engagement and outreach efforts that has set this project apart.

This free and public exhibit is an opportunity to learn about how the FiDi & Seaport area will be impacted by flooding and the City’s solution to protect the neighborhood, build new public open spaces, and preserve what New Yorkers love most about the waterfront. The exhibit features both self-guided content and an opportunity to talk with members of the project team. Whether you live, work, commute, or play in Lower Manhattan, you will learn how this project protects YOU.

For more information, please visit FiDi & Seaport Climate Resilience Plan: Pop-Up Exhibit | Climate Week

Just in time for summer, New York City has opened large new sections of the new East River Park.

Local officials and the design team which includes MNLA, AKRF, One Architecture, BIG, Arcadis, and Jacobs marked the opening of large sections of the new East River Park, which is being rebuilt at an 8- to 10-foot-higher elevation as part of the flood protection provided by East Side Coastal Resiliency. The areas opened to the public on Memorial Day.

This quarter-mile stretch of park brings a variety of new amenities to the community, including basketball and tennis courts, picnic and BBQ areas, a multi-use turf field, open lawn space, and inviting zones for nature exploration and water play. As an addition to the already completed Stuyvesant Cove Park, it now forms part of a broader one-mile span of realized Manhattan coastal resiliency.